


Unexpected Consequences

by AndreM962



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Chloe continues to be the only sane person in this thing, Dorks in Love, Feelings Realization, Goh is Bad at Feelings, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Shy Goh, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndreM962/pseuds/AndreM962
Summary: If there was one thing Goh didn't expect would happen when Tokio met Ash for the first time, it would have to be him calling Ash "cute". And yet, that's exactly what happened, and now Goh has to deal with the consequences. Whatever those may be.
Relationships: Gou | Goh/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Gou | Goh/Tokio, Possible Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Tokio, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Gou | Goh/Tokio
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	Unexpected Consequences

Goh didn’t really know what he expected when he finally had the courage to invite Tokio into the research center.

He had been afraid of him and Ash ever meeting, not because he was terrified that… what had just happened… might happen, but simply because that might mean having to choose between either of them. And Goh was just not ready for that at the moment.

But he could not hide the fact that he had been visiting Tokio in his time off from Ash. That kid was more perceptive than he looked. Every so often, he would beg Goh to let him meet this new friend that he cared so much about.

Tokio, too, wanted to meet Goh’s other friend and see the place where he worked. Eventually, Goh just couldn’t justify separating the two anymore. They were both his friends – perhaps more. The two most important boys he had in his life should probably get to know one another, yeah?

That being said, of all the things he thought Tokio might say to Ash when he did meet him, this was not one of them.

“Goh, why didn’t you tell me your friend was so cute?” Tokio had asked, with mirth in his voice.

“EEEHHH?! C-Cute? Did you just call Ash ‘cute’??”

“Of course! I mean, just look at him!” Tokio answered, batting his eyes at Ash. It made Goh profoundly uncomfortable. Though he had to admit he understood what Tokio was talking about.

Ash grinned sheepishly and put his arms behind his head. “Thanks! You’re not so bad yourself.” Okay, now Goh was getting mad. This wasn’t supposed to happen! “So this is the famous Tokio! Goh’s been talking about you nonstop since the day he went to that forest.”

“He also can’t ever stop talking about you when we’re together”, Tokio remarked.

“OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS, STOP EMBARRASSING ME!” Goh yelled, mostly to get their attention back to him and away from each other.

* * *

“Chloe, this is Tokio. Tokio, meet Chloe.” Goh said, trying to not think about what the heck had happened earlier.

Chloe, for her part, continued to sip her morning coffee like nothing was going on, her only response being to wave at Tokio. “Don’t mind her! She’s just in one of her moods.”

Chloe finished her coffee and finally said “Hi, Tokio.”

“He’s finally here! After so much anticipation, all three of Goh’s friends are in the same room together! Isn’t that _exciting?_ ” Ash asked, looking at Chloe with stars in his eyes.

“Not… really?” Chloe asked with a long-suffering sigh. “It’s too early in the morning for this.” She sat down on her table again and leaned against the chair. “I can’t deal with so many hyperactive gay children at once.”

“G-gay? I mean… that’s… uh…” Goh stammered. He didn’t really want to discuss this topic in front of his two crushes at the moment. They might wonder how and why Goh figured out he was gay…

“Gay children? Huh. I guess we are!” Ash declared, chipper as ever. “Though I think I might be closer to, what was that word Cilan used… Bisexy?”

Tokio could only laugh out loud in response to that. It was a cute laugh, Goh noticed. “ _Bisexy_! Ha! I’m going to start using that!”

“Thanks! Uh… what was the joke?” Ash said, sparking yet more laughter from both Tokio and Goh.

But of course, Tokio had to drag Goh back down to reality by complimenting Ash again. “Cute _and_ funny. I like it.” Ash beamed at him.

Goh clenched his fists. “Let’s just hurry to Cerise Park already”, he told them coldly. Behind him, Ash and Tokio frowned, unsure of what was going on with their friend.

* * *

The visit to the park provided a brief respite from the uncomfortable feelings burning in Goh’s chest. Tokio was of course delighted to hear his extensive explanations of all the pokémon he had acquired on his journeys. Ash for his part had already heard all the stories, though, so he spent most of the time just staring at Tokio, and his piercing golden eyes.

Honestly, Goh could not blame either of them if they were in fact attracted to one another. He knew full well there was plenty to love about both of them. But he kind of wished they hadn’t realized that.

Before he could notice them, his trio of Dustoxes swarmed around them. “I’ve read about these pokémon!” Tokio remarked, “They’re one of the evolved forms of Wurmple. But it’s completely random whether you’ll end up with these or Beautifly.”

“You knew all that even without looking at a pokédex?” Ash asked, impressed.

“Well, I spent a lot of time sick in bed, and all I could do was read books about pokémon, so I learned a lot. But even before that, I was a huge bookworm. Me and Goh are like birds of a feather that way!” Tokio explained. Ash nodded. “I have a really terrible memory for pokémon”, he admitted. “I kind of have to rely on the pokédex if I haven’t seen them in a long time.”

“Well, no wonder you and Goh make such a good match, then”, Tokio commented. Ash put his arms behind his head and gave him a large grin in response.

“Yeah…I guess I must have a thing for intellectuals.” Goh frowned. _What was_ that _supposed to mean?_

_I mean, I know Ash has dated other guys before, so maybe he was just talking about them, but… the way he said that, with such a genuine smile…_

Just then, Tokio noticed a small blue pokémon close by. “Who’s that pokémon?” He asked. Goh immediately perked up and answered.

“Oh! That’s Sobble. I caught him on Galar.”

Tokio walked toward Sobble and crouched in front of him. “So this little guy is Sobble, huh?” He asked. Goh tried to calm his nerves. Maybe what Ash said didn’t mean anything. Or at least, he hoped it didn’t.

“Yeah, It was really difficult to catch him”, Ash explained, “because he kept turning invisible whenever he cried. Which was a lot.”

Tokio reached his hand toward Sobble to try and touch him. “You’re not scared of me, are you, little guy?” Sobble’s answer was swift and deadly: tears began to well up in his eyes, and on cue, so did the eyes of all three kids present. “I-is this what happens w-when Sobble starts to c-cry?” Tokio sniffled.

“Y-yeah! It’s -sniffle- it packs the c-chemical punch of a t-thousand onions!” Goh said, sobbing profusely while reciting the pokedéx’s explanation.

“Let’s get out of here, g-guys!” Ash exclaimed, and they all ran out of the conservatory.

But Goh couldn’t help but notice that, as they fled from the danger, Ash wrapped his arm around Tokio’s shoulder. Like he used to do with him.

As they made their way back to Professor Cerise’s laboratory, Goh was still crying. He let them believe it was still from Sobble.

* * *

“My mother told me a bedtime story once”, Goh said morosely. It was high noon by now, and that meant he’d had to endure an entire day of Ash and Tokio either infuriating him with how adorable they were, or infuriating him with how well they got along. By this point, he was more than convinced he had no chance with them anymore.

Goh looked at Chloe, who was sitting down beside him, and waited for her to ask him to continue. “What was the bedtime story?”, she said, after a bit of silence.

“It was about a Yamper who was carrying a piece of steak in his mouth. He was happily walking along, until he came across a river. The water was clear as crystal, and in it, the Yamper saw his reflection. He mistook the reflection for another dog carrying another steak, and he decided he wanted it. But he was already carrying one. In his indecision about which one to grab first, the Yamper dropped the piece of meat into the river, and it was carried by the river’s flow, never to be seen again.”

Goh then turned his attention to Ash and Tokio, who had sat down on the stairs in front of Cerise Laboratory, and were joyfully talking with one another. “And now, I am that Yamper, Chloe.” He told her, with a forlorn expression on his face. “I spent so long wracked with indecision, that I couldn’t decide which of them I wanted to spend the rest of my days with. And now I’ve lost both of them. I had two futures in my hands, and instead of grabbing hold of one and never letting go, I let both slip away.”

Chloe stared at him silently, as if thinking of what to say. “This is just like Scorbunny all over again.” She said at last.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It’s so easy for you to think that there’s no way other people could love you, huh? All it takes is for them to act affectionate around someone else, and you immediately decide it’s hopeless. Tokio must have really messed you up.” She told him, crossing her arms. “People _are_ capable of loving more than one person, you know!”

“But… but… you don’t understand, Chloe! You didn’t see the way they were acting before! There’s no way-“ Chloe shushed him.

“Really? Then prove me wrong. Go ahead and ask them what the truth is.”

“I… I can’t…”

“Why not? You just said your problem was having too much indecision. Well, now it’s time to make a decision.” Chloe said, putting her arm on his shoulder. “Good luck.” She said earnestly, before walking away.

Goh knew in his heart that she was right. He _was_ jumping to conclusions, letting his paranoia and lack of self-esteem get the better of him. But he would never find peace unless he knew for sure.

Goh took a deep breath. _I can do this. If I managed to stand up to that Zapdos, there’s no reason I can’t ask an honest question to my friends._

He walked toward them, slowly and with much trepidation. As he got closer, he began hearing what they were talking about.

Or in this case, who.

“No way! he captured an Aerodactyl all by himself?” Tokio was saying with an awed tone.

“Totally!” Ash replied with a huge grin. “At first he was ‘swish!’ and then he was like, ‘woosh!’ and then he said ‘I knew he was gonna try that move all along!”

“He’s grown so much since we first met. Goh’s become quite the trainer”, Tokio remarked softly.

“I know, right? He’s just always finding new ways to impress me! Whether it’s being a good researcher or a good trainer, or even just a good friend, Goh is amazing!” Ash then lowered his voice. He was still smiling, but more softly, as if telling a closely-guarded secret.

“I love him so much”, Ash confessed. “I love him _so_ much, sometimes it feels like I’m gonna explode. I mean, I’ve been in love before, but I don’t think it was ever quite like this! Goh is just, he’s just… he’s _something_! You know?” He said, quickly getting giddy again as he talked about Goh.

Tokio nodded. “I know what you mean. I never really had any friends before Goh came along… but I know enough to realize what I feel for him is much more than just friendship. Because you’re right. Goh is pretty amazing.” Tokio’s eyes turned away from Ash and looked into Goh’s, as if he’d noticed his approach from the beginning. “Isn’t that right, Goh?”

Noticing Goh also, Ash waved at him. “Hey, Goh! Come over here! We were just talking about you!” He suggested, with happiness bubbling forth from his voice, like his day had just gotten dozens of times better with Goh’s presence, even though he’d barely left them alone for a half-hour.

Goh began to cry profusely, not of sadness this time, but of joy. “Y-you guys!” He said, running up to them as fast as he could, and hugging them tightly, wrapping the two boys who meant the world to him around his arms.

Yes, Goh’s future looked very bright indeed…

**The End.**

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, how I love happy endings.
> 
> This was originally going to be a lot longer, and be about Goh trying to break up the new couple he’d just unwittingly formed. But then I realized that a) I wouldn’t know how to write that sort of thing, and b) that would be extremely out of character for Goh.
> 
> As pointed out in the fic, if Goh thinks a person he loves doesn’t love him back, he’s far more likely to accept it as something he can’t change and presume that they’re just better off without him, like what happened with Scorbunny.
> 
> Plus, I’m already writing another multi-chapter fic (not about Pokémon, though). But hey, if you think you can derive some good humor from the above idea, be my guest! I’m just better at writing soft, WAFFy stories than funny ones. Bye for now, guys.


End file.
